I've been out shopping for a 7 wt rod to fish the Sacramento, CA area for Steelhead and Shad and have become intrigued with the idea of building a rod. I'm a little nervous about investing the time and money without really understanding what I'm going to end up with, so would like to see if I could get some feedback. The production rods I'm most considering are the Sage FLi or Scott A2, both about $250.

Blanks/kits I'm considering are the Hook and Hackle XT51 or IM6, GLoomis IMX or GL3, and Cabelas SLi all around $125-175. So my question is, will these compete with the production rods I'm considering. What is the closest production rod to each of these kits so I can understand what I'll end up with.

Hello Dave, I have built two rods using the Hook&hackle XT51 blank a 6 wt. and a 2 wt. and have found they are some of the lightest/fastest blanks I have ever used would highly recommend them to anyone wanting a high-quality fast action rod. There comparable to a St. Croix Legent Ultra production rod in terms of action which a friend of mine uses. As for sage and Scott rods I had no experience used either. I have also use the hook & Hackle IM6 blanks they are also very nice blanks just with a medium fast action which some people prefer. You could compare these blanks with a Loomis GL3 or the St. croix Avid series. I have never used the Cabelas Cabelas SLi blank but I have used their FT series kits which was the first fly rod I ever built these are also a very good blanks but not quite as fast as the Hook&hackle XT51. It Is Really just a matter of preference and fishing style. I fish mostly in salt water this last year I've been using my XT51 6Wt. rod for striped bass and bluefish using Courtland 444 steady sink line and it has performed flawlessly especially in windy conditions. I hope this information helps you make a choice. Joe